Wire-cleaning machine



Oct 28, 1941. E. w. MORLEY WIRE-CLEANING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sfieet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1939 1701971507: dward 14 Mar/e3 Oct. 28, 1941 E. w. MORLEY WIRE-CLEANING MACHINE Filed Sept. 26, 1959 5 Shets-Sheet 2 [Wei 6507': Edward Mar/6g Oct. 28, 1941. E; w. MORLEY 2,260,733

WIRE-CLEANING MACHINE Filed Sept. 26, 1959 v a Sheets-Sheet 3 [mew]? E a ward W Mar/8y 1V ##onyey Patented a. 1941f u Nl T E o SII'ATJES PAT ENT f. OF F l or.

.wmn-cm fizz fi mcnmn i 4 Edward W. Morley, Huntington Park, Calif. Application September 26, 1939, Serial l lo. 296,671 Y 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in machines for removing foreign matter, such as rust or the like, from the surface of a longitudinally advancing wire. One object of 'the invention is to provide improved means for mounting the cleaning brushes. Another object is to provide an arbor for a gang of wire clean ing brushes which is so mounted that a given gang of brushes can be easily and quickly reonce is to be made tothe following specification,

the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

In the drawings, I l Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a wire-cleaning machine. embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section on Figure 1;

line 11-11 of Figure 3 is a similar section on line III--III v of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the mounting of one of the arbor-driving spindles and showing also the detachable -connection between the spindle and the arbor;

. Figure 5 is a similar detail view illustrating the idle spindle mounting at the opposite end or the arbor; Figure 6 is a detail view of a wire guide; and Figure 71s a section on line VII-VII of Figure 6.

Reierring in detail to the drawings,

top frames I6 and Ill. The frames l2 and 14 support a suitable casing 20, and the top frames II and I! carry hinges 22 which support swingable covers 24 and 26. The chamber enclosed by the casing 20 and the hinge covers 24 and 26 is divided ,by a partition 28 into. an upper. compartment 30 and lower compartments 32 and 84, the'latter being separated by an upright wall 36. The upper compartment contains a plurality of gangs of brushes hereinafter more fully described, the lower compartment 32 houses the the machine includes a base ill, frames i2 and i4, and

drive motor ,38 for the apparatus, and the compartment 34 provides a dust-collecting chamber, the same communicating by way of openings 40 with the cleaning compartment 30. As thusarranged,}it is apparent that the motor is pro tected against the infiltration of dust. On the armature shaft 42 of the motor there is a main drive pulley 44 over which is trained a belt 46 which drives a plurality of pulleys 48, 50, and 52, An idler pulley 41 is carried on an adjustable arm 49 which is adapted to be swung about its pivotal support 5i so as to properly adjust the tension of the belt. The three pulleys 48, 50 and 52 are secured to driving spindles which transmit rotary motion to the respective gangs of brushes carried by the arbors. Inasmuch as all of these gangs of brushes and their supporting means are of identical construction, a description of one will suiiice for all. Each pulley is keyed or otherwise secured to a drive spindle 54 which is supported on roller bearings 56 carried by a bearing-supporting hub 58 secured to a support 60 which is mounted for adjustment relatively to a fixed bracket 62 secured to the end wall of the casing supported by the end frame II. An adjusting screw 64 is threaded into a flange 65 of the support 60 and passes freely through the flange 66 in the fixed bracket 62. The screw has .a collar 68 secured thereto so arranged that when the head 10 of the screw is turned the bearing support 60 will be adjusted toward or from the axis of the wire W which is guided, as later described, to be advanced longitudinally through the machine, Once adjustment of the support 60 is obtained, the same is lockedin its adjusted position by suitable bolts 12, it being understood that during the adjusting operation the bolts will be loosened.

Each arbor 14 carries a plurality of wire brushes IS, the same being separated by spacing sleeves I8. At its ends the arbor carries coupling elements ll and 82. These elements have jaws which provide a detachable driving connection with mating couplingelements 84 and 86 secured respectively to the drive spindle 54 and idle spindle 88 axially aligned therewith. The

arbor, near one end thereof, carries a nut 90' which bears againstta collar 92 which in turn engages a brush 16 at that end of thearbor. Thus the brushes -are removably positioned thereon, In this manner the brushes may be easily and quickly initially assembled or removed after they become womr For effecting such removal it is of course necessary to remove the coupling element 80 from the arbor to which it is removably secured by a pin 9|.

The idle spindle 88 is supported in ball bearings 95-96 carried by a bearing retainer 98 the exterior of which is threaded, as indicated at I00, so as to be longitudinally adjustable with respect to the support I02 which is adjustably secured to a fixed bracket I04 carrying an adjusting screw I06 which is threaded through a flange of the support in much the same manner as described in connection with the support 00. A lock nut I08 serves to securely hold the bearing retainer in its adjusted position.

When it is desired to remove any given gang of brushes as a unit, it is apparent that this can be accomplished merely by loosening the lock nut I08 and unscrewing the bearing retainer 08 a sufiicient distance to permit disengagement of the jaws of the coupling elements 80 and 82 in the respective ends of the arbor. Once a given gang of brushes is removed as a unit, another similar unit can be quickly and easily assembled in operative position. Thus the period of idleness of the machine due to changing brushes is materially cut down. The removed unit can be disassembled and new brushes assembled on the arbor to be in readiness for instant installation again when the necessity arises. I

The wire to be cleaned passes over guide sheaves I09 and H0 located respectively adjacent the entrance and exit ends of the machine. In its passage through the'machine, the wire is positioned by end guide bushings H2 and Ill and a series of intermediate bushings IIG. Each bushing H6 is removably secured near the end of a respective bracket II8 which is provided with a bushing aperture I and which is split as indicated at I22, so as to permit the guide bushing to be removably clamped suitable clamp screw I24.

Adjacent the exit end of the machine there is provided a wiper I26 including a body of felt I 28 which is eiifective to impart a final polish to the wire as it is led to a suitable take-up reel.

In operation, it will the wire is advanced longitudinally of the machine it is acted upon by the three gangs '01 brushes which in the machine illustrated are set to the bracket by a be understood that as where renewal is necessary, each gang, thereof can be readily removed as a unit by unscrewing the bearing retainer 88 to permit the disengagement of the arbor couplings. The disengaged unit can be lifted out of the opening normally closed by the hinged covers 24 and 26. The described construction and arrangement of the parts provides a simple yet efi'ective mechanism for accomplishing the desired result. No great amount of skill is necessary for adjusting the parts, and the machine can therefore be operated by relatively unskilled operators.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the improved machine constructed and arranged as defined with particularity in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A wire-cleaning machine of the class described comprising a housing divided into a plurality of separate compartments, one of the com partments having located therein a plurality of gangs of brushes for cleaning the wire, a supporting arbor for each gang of brushes, respective bearings mounted in alignment at opposite ends of the housing rotatably supporting each arbor, respective supports for said bearings adjustable toward and from said guiding means,- 0

each of said supports'being inclined with respect to the other, said bearings being slidable on said supports so that the said gangs of brushes can be converged toward the axis of said wire, respective drive pulleys for said arbors mounted in a compartment isolated from the compartment in. which the brushes common to all of the drive pulleys also located in a compartment isolated from the brush compartment, said brush compartment having an inclined bottom with at least one opening adjaat an angle of 120 degrees about the. axis of the wire. These brushes,. which are usually of fine wire, rotate at a high rate of speed and are effective to remove rust or other undesireddeposits or incrustations on the surface oi. the wire as the same is advanced in the guide bushings.

their positions with advancing wire can a taut condition through As the brushes wear in time, respect to the axisof the be adjusted with precision by a manipulation of the adjusting screws 60 and I06. When the.desired adjustment is secured, the supports 80 and I02 can be fixedly clamped by tightening up the bolts 12 which secure them to the fixed brackets. It is also apparent that after the brushes have been worn down to a. point cent the lower end thereof, and a collecting chamber below said opening for receiving the foreign matter removed from the wire by said brushes.

p 2. A wire-cleaning machine of the character described comprising a housing divided into a plurality of separate compartments, bushings supported from the housing for guiding a longitudinally moving wire, a plurality of arbors each carrying a respective gang of brushes for cleaning the wire, supporting and driving means for the arbors including spindles axially aligned therewith, respective bearings for said spindles.

- changing the brush respective supports for the bearings secured to said housing, respective means for adjusting said bearings with relation to said supports, detachable jaw couplings between each arbor and the spindles associated therewith, and a respective rotatably supporting, each one end thereof, each said mounting being adapted to be retracted so as to disconnect a respective coupling to facilitate arbor associated therewith.

' EDWARD W. MORLEY.

are located, and a motor 

